PLAY

SCHNEIDER VS. BAX

Synopsis
On his birthday, Schneider, a contract killer disguised as a handyman reluctantly takes on the easy task of killing Bax, a novelist who has a substance-abuse problem that could do him in before his rival contract arrives. Mertens, Schneider’s boss, orders him to grab his rifle and get to work. He insists the job to be done today, adding, “Ramon Bax is a child killer”. Bax who is a total mess is also a pro-hitman under Mertens and forgets he was supposed to kill Schneider that day because, according to Mertens, “Schneider is a child killer”. Both Schneider and Bax know they are being played, but since it is a contract they have a certain obligation.

Credits
Director – Alex Van Warmerdam
Writer – Alex Van Warmerdam
Producer – Marc Van Warmerdam (Graniet Film)
Co-producers – Eurydice Gysel & Koen Mortier (Czar Film & Tv)
Cinematographer – Tom Erisman
Editor – Job ter Burg
Art Director – Geert Paredis
Cast – Alex Van Warmerdam, Tom Dewispelaere, Maria Kraakman, Gene Bervoets, Annet Malherbe, Loes Haverkort, Pierre Bokma & Eva Van De Wijdeven

Funding 
NFF (Netherlands Film Fund), VAF (Flanders Audiovisual Fund), Screen Flanders, Eurimages Production support from NL Film Fund
Supported by CoBo, VARA, Abraham Tuschinski Fund, Mollywood & Belgian Tax Shelter

Sales & Distribution
Distributed by Cinéart
Sales – Fortissimo

Bio director
Alex Van Warmerdam is a writer, designer, actor and director of both theatre plays and film features. His films have been critically acclaimed and awarded at festivals worldwide. His features were screened at several international A-film festivals. He made his first feature film in 1986: ‘Abel’. He plays parts in all of his own movies, except ‘Grimm’. Alex van Warmerdam is married to Dutch actress Annet Malherbe, who plays parts in most of his films and mostly also functions as a casting director. He won the Nederlands-Vlaamse Toneelschrijfprijs in 1990 and the Taalunie Toneelschrijfprijs in 2011. His 2013 film ‘Borgman’ was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. His latest film ‘Nr. 10’ will be released shortly.

Festival selections & Awards

  • Release at EYE Amsterdam, 2015 
  • Winner Prix Nouveau Genre at Festival D Cinema De Paris, 2015
  • Winner Jury Prize at Austin Fantastic Fest, 2015
  • Selected for Toronto International Film Festival, New World Cinema, 2015
  • Nominated for Best Film at Austin Fantastic Fest, 2015
  • Nominated for Best Feature at Chicago International Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Critics Award at Hamburg Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Audience Award at Jeonju Film Festival, 2016
  • Nominated for Golden Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Best Feature Narrative at Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, 2016
  • Nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing & Best Sound Design at Nederlands Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at Portland International Film Festival, 2016
  • Nominated for Best Film at Pure International Film Festival, 2016 
  • Nominated for Best Motion Picture at Sitges, Catalonian International Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Audience Award at Vancouver International Film Festival, 2015
  • Nominated for Grand Prix at Warsaw International Film Festival, 2015

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